The singer whose vocals Janis Joplin imitated to find her own voice: “I’d never sung before”
In music, it’s probably safe to say that imposter syndrome is more common among women. The self-doubt that comes with making it alongside male peers is something many have had to navigate, from Janis Joplin to Stevie Nicks. While this feeling manifests in various ways, some, like Joplin, seem to look to the heroes that came before to establish her own path, knowing that the road would never be easy.
Joplin wasn’t always met with as much embrace as she is today. During her rise to fame, some were unsure of how she presented herself authentically through her art, criticising her desire to present all facets of her personality, flaws included, under the guise of art. Of course, this wasn’t as much of an issue with her male counterparts, but rawness in Joplin’s world was all she wanted to do.
After all, she had no interest in being the perfect, polished pop star, and looked and acted with a certain audacity that left some astounded. She was entirely unapologetic, which was as much a groundbreaking artistic identity as it was an industry disruptor, the kind that divided those who came in her path. For some, like Nicks, this demeanour was nothing less than gold.
As Nicks told The Telegraph in 2011, “From Janis, I learned that to make it as a female musician in a man’s world is gonna be tough, and you need to keep your head held high.” With Joplin, Nicks saw someone whose challenges didn’t define them but pushed them to work harder against the scrutiny without moulding their personality or values into something softer, more pandering.
However, Joplin’s fearless fight or creative expression didn’t just spring from nowhere. In fact, much of her craft in the early days centred around learning from others, not just in terms of resilience and attitude but also their approach to music and performances. Joplin wasn’t flawlessly put together, especially not in the beginning, which drew her to those who seemed to have it all figured out, like Bessie Smith and Odetta.
For Joplin, Odetta wasn’t just a legendary figure, she also had a voice she wanted to claim as her own. The moment she tried to mimic her vocal performance, it was like everything clicked into place. As she said in 1969 during an interview with Hit Parader: “I began listening to blues and folk music. I bought Bessie Smith and Odetta records, and one night, I was at this party and I did an imitation of Odetta. I’d never sung before, and I came out with this huge voice.”
A big, grand voice always endeared Joplin, but finding her own groove after replicating Odetta’s charm set her on an unstoppable path to feverish disruption. Much like those who admired her then and still do now, Joplin’s journey began with absorbing other female greats, not just talent-wise but also their grace when standing tall in front of society’s brutalities. Joplin wouldn’t have ever truly fit the mould, but those she looked up to helped to remind her that doing so would have been pointless anyway.
